World Bank Poverty and Equity Brief (Oct 2026): extreme poverty in India at 2.6%
13-10-2026 · English
Topics: Indices & Reports · 13 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)
News
According to the World Bank's Poverty and Equity Brief for India (Oct 2026), extreme poverty at the international line of $3 a day (2021 PPP) fell from 27.1% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2023. At the $4.20 lower-middle-income line, poverty fell from 57.7% to 16.1%, lifting about 496 million people; it is projected to fall to 12.1% by 2028, though the pace is slowing.
Key facts
| Extreme poverty ($3/day) | 27.1% (2011) → 2.6% (2023) |
| $4.20/day line | 57.7% → 16.1%; about 496 million lifted; 12.1% by 2028 (projected) |
| Concentration | About 57% of the poor in the belt from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal |
| Jobs | 2017–2023: about 134 million jobs added |
| New poverty line | $3.00/day (2021 PPP) from June 2025; earlier $2.15 (2017 PPP) |
Background
- World Bank: the IBRD was created at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference; HQ Washington DC; President Ajay Banga (since 2023). These briefs come out twice a year, before the Spring and Annual Meetings.
- Indian poverty estimates: Tendulkar Committee (2009), Rangarajan Committee (2014). NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) – health, education, living standards; 11.28% in 2022–23.
- PPP (purchasing power parity) adjusts for price differences between countries. New lines: lower-middle income $4.20, upper-middle income $8.30.
Tamil Nadu link: in NITI Aayog's National MPI (2023), Tamil Nadu is among the States with the lowest multidimensional poverty (about 2.2%), credited to welfare schemes like the PDS, the breakfast scheme and the women's entitlement grant.
Source: Business Standard, 12 Oct 2026; Free Press Journal; AIR News
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